I have had extremely severe ADHD and Aspergers diagnosed from when I was six and depression so serious that I have been suicidal for the past two years and have had such bad anxiety that I only leave the house about every couple of weeks when I absolutely have no choice. I mainly just lie on the sofa, feeling angry, bitter, exhausted, depressed and resentful of my horrible headspace.

But today ONE FREAKINGG DAY ON THIS WONDER DIET, today I got up, showered and got dressed (a genuine achievement), got ready and went out to town! I have had the best day in months and months, I did my errands, I wasn't in a bad headspace, I wasn't anxious, I was sensible, productive and most of all - HAPPY.

I had previously read about how people noticed extremely quick changes and improvements, sometimes in a number of hours and honestly, I was sceptical. That's all changed now. This diet has already changed my life and it's only the first day.

Onwards and upwards from here hopefully!!! - Ffion from UK.

Two days later:

For those of you who didn't see my first post I have severe major depression which leads to suicidal tendencies, self destructive behaviour and I also have horrific anxiety and very severe ADHD and Aspergers. Or rather.... I USED to.

This morning for the first time in over two years I got up and went for a morning run. I didn't go far and I didn't go fast but it's a start and is just one more indication that I'm really living now - not barely existing like I was previously.

I'm doing the strict elimination diet. To be honest though, I wouldn't care if I had to eat like this for the rest of my life as long as I feel as good as I am now.

Update one month later:

So I've been doing this diet for a month now, I chose to do the very strict total elimination diet because of the colossal amount of issues I was trying to tackle.

I have since done some challenges but have reacted to all so far - especially glutamates! I thought not having the things I used to eat so much of would be really hard (especially since I'm such foodie) but I can honestly say, for the first time ever, that the benefits of not having the stuff (drastically) outweigh the drawbacks.

I can honestly say that since I first started this diet, my life has been unrecognisably changed for the better.

One of the biggest, most welcome changes in me since going on this has been the total disappearance of my crippling anxiety and panic disorder which resulted in me often not being able to leave the house for days on end and leaving me unable to interact with other people as well.

Well like I said, that's not an issue any more. Since last month I actually joined an animal right group (something I feel passionate about). I didn't know anyone in the group and just kind of showed up to one of their open events and introduced myself.

This might not seem strange or much of an achievement but this is coming from the girl who wouldn't answer her house phone because she didn't know who was calling and was afraid it might be someone she didn't know.

Not only that but I have taken part in many of the awareness events that the group do. These events consist of going into the city centre, setting up a stall and talking to the general public to raise awareness about the importance of animal rights. A month ago it would genuinely have been funny to even suggest that I might do something like this because the thought of me being alone, in town, talking to strangers was so ridiculous.

I would also have not been safe to be in town on my own, due to my ADHD prompting me to often act irrationally and impulsively, putting myself and others at risk.

But I'm not that person any more and have taken part in 3 events so far and have loved every one of them! I now have a circle of friends who I see regularly and who, if I do have a hard day like everyone has once in a while, I can call and speak to about what's going on.

There is so much more I could write about, including going into detail about how my self-destructive tendencies have disappeared "as if like magic" some would say but I won't expand on all areas of how things have changed for the better, instead I will just leave you with this.

People always used to know my name for the wrong reasons.

At school I was "that strange girl who can't sit still" or "that girl who had a meltdown when the fire alarms were tested" or "that girl who's suspended because she lost her mind when she was asked to do work with a partner".

At uni I was "that girl who never shows up to lectures because she's scared" or "that girl who never looks anyone in the eye" or "that girl who can't join a conversation without cutting everyone off or shouting out".

I was always known for the wrong reasons.

But now people are actually NOT recognising me, and it's for all the right reasons. People see me doing an awareness event and say "that can't be Ffion" or they see my pictures of me running and say "ok, but who went with you" because they can't wrap their heads around the fact that it is now safe for me to be out on my own because I am no longer a danger to myself.

Before this diet I was surviving, and now I am genuinely, for the first time in my whole life, living life to the full. And I'm not about to stop - Ffion from UK.

Testimonial

Disclaimer: the information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for possible underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. Information is drawn from the scientific literature, web research, group members and personal enquiry; while all care is taken, information is not warranted as accurate and the Food Intolerance Network and Sue Dengate cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions.